The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-08
AN EyENTFUL NIGHT,
How $4,000 Veterans Rejoiced when tho End
Came--Madnsss OF joy Unspeakable.

to etface from memory q scene in
which was an active participant one
night more than twenty years ago in
the wilds OF East Tennessee" The
speaker was an old volunteer officer
who served through the warm an OHIO
regiment. He had seen great deal OF
war in all its phases, and had been
once severely wounded. At this time
he was one OF a small company OF
friends who were talking OF those stir.
ring events. Being pressed to tell the
story OF the night in question he con.
tinued:
81 belonged to the old Fourth
corps, army OF the Cumberland When
uncle Billy Sherman laid Atlanta in
ashes and pulled out with five corps
Tor Savannah, he sent back the Fourth
and Twenty-third, under old Pap
Thomas, you remember, to take care
OF Hood, who, by a wide detour to
The north and west, had turned up on
the Tennessee river and was threaten
ing Nashville. The repulse OF Hood
at Franklin, followed, two weeks
later, by the magnificent victory of
Thomas at Nashville, almost destroy
ed the confederate army. From the
day those demoraized remnants re-
crossed the river we never again look
Il ,,,N Ia, - Nhni,, ,,,nulyato
have said all this so that you may
understand how it happened that we
we're away up among the mountains
Of East Tennessee.
Late one evening there came to us
news that threw the camps OF the va
-ious brigades and divisions into the
widest uproar. No language OF mine
ran convey more than faint con-
ception OF the reality. Nobody ever
saw or heard anything lik3 it before
nor, probably, ever will again. |
suppose you want to know what it
was all about. IL was near the middle
Of April. Darkness had settled down
over the great bivouac. The bugles
had sounded the tattoo. The grizzled
veterans who had been squatting
around the camp-fres, talking over
the scenes OF the past and wondering
when the war would be OVERHEAD
knocked the ashes from their pipes
and crawled within their little pup
tents, or their shelters made OF boughs.
All was still, save the measured tread
Of the sentinels as they passed to and
no upon their beats around the sleep
ng army.
"Suddenly then came rattling
through the clear night air sound
that aroused every soldier in an in
slant. We had often herd it before,
and it always meant business.
II was the long roll at division
headquarters. And such a long roll
rs it was The drummer handled his
sticks as if he were pounding for his
very life When soldier hears the long
roll he never waits for orders. 1t is an
alarm that has but one meaning. His
duty is to get his traps on and take
his place in line, and to be very lively
about it, too. The drums at the
headquarters OF each brigade took up
The sound and the piercing blasts ofbu-
yles Joined in the chorus. Started from
their sleep the soldiers kicked off their
blankets and it wasn't minute tin the
companies were formed, every man
with his accoutrements buckled
on and his musket at shoulder
in response TO the Fall inV
Of the orderly sergeants. Again
drums and bugles sounded, the COM
panies marched to the color line and
the regiments were ready for action.
H. uas a pnoonless nipht and tha dark.
ness of the oak woods was but feebly
dispelled here and there by the flicker
ing light OF the smouldering fires.
Everybody inquired Of everybody
else what the matter was. We had
not supposed there was any consld-
cradle force OF the enemy within a
hundred miles OF us. But such !
alarms had always betokened some |
great emergency and the soldiers |
thought OF nothing but night attack /
upon the camp. Every ear was strained
to catch the rattle OF shots on the
piciSet-line. No sound was heard
save the hustle OF the assembling
troops and the voices OF the officers as
they gave the necessary command. 1t
was one OF those moments OF anxious
suspense that test the courage OF the
bravest veteran.
"An orderly from brigade headquar-
tiers dashed up and handed paper to
the colonel OF our regiment. A bit OF
candle was found, and by its sputter-
ing light the colonel glanced at the
message. Jumping about four feet in
the air he gave one wild, piercing yell,
that an Apache chief might strive in